Do you feel facial or jaw pain? Do you feel a click when you open your mouth? Does your jaw deviate to one side while opening? Or even worse, is your jaw stuck open or shut!? All of these common complaints can be attributed to various TMJ dysfunction.
WHAT IS TMJ?
TMJ is your tempero-mandibular joint (aka your jaw joint). It is not a diagnosis or condition, it is the joint beside your ear and you have one on each side of your face. Commonly people refer to TMJ as a diagnosis for your pain, this would be more accurately termed TMD (tempero-mandibular dysfunction). This joint has many small muscles attaching in and around it, as well as a small disc resting between the two bones.
WHAT IS FACIAL PAIN?
Facial pain is any pain in the face. It can present itself as pain around the ears, cheeks, sinuses, eyes, forehead or jaw. In this blog we will focus on the pain that presents due to TMJ dysfunction
SYMPTOMS OF TMJ DYSFUNCTION
Pain beside the ear
Pain with opening mouth
Pain while chewing
Difficulty opening the mouth
Mouth locked open
Popping or clicking while opening
Headaches and dizziness
COMMON CAUSES OF TMJ PAIN?
Chronic clenching or grinding while sleeping
Arthritis within the joint
Traumatic injury or blow to the joint (car accident, fall)
Poor posture (forward head postures)
HOW DO WE TREAT TMD?
Dr. Sid Lisser is a Chiropractor who specializes in TMJ related pain and facial pain. He has developed an amazing protocol with various dental experts around Toronto to accurately diagnose and manage jaw related pain. Our other chiropractors, physiotherapist, and massage therapists also work within this protocol to add their skills to achieve great results for our patients.
Our therapists focus on a proper diagnosis to determine if the pain is related to tight muscles, disc compression, nerve referral from another source, or a combination. Observation is another key factor in our assessments, viewing any facial muscles wasting, deviations in the jaw opening, or wear along the teeth line from grinding. Following the diagnosis we work towards opening the space and re-aligning the joint by using soft tissue therapy around the TMJ, neck, and head, as well as addressing restricted joints of the jaw and neck and educating patients on proper exercises and habit changes.
If you are feeling any facial pain, clicking, popping, or difficulty opening the mouth, please don't hesitate to book your initial consult with Dr. Lisser and our team!